"You don't seem to be in a good mood today, Kim." Wonwoo muttered, tightly, from his seat next to Mingyu's.
Mingyu nearly toppled off his chair, wondering to himself whether or not regressing in the morning had actually left an effect on his brain that had lasted until now. Was Jeon Wonwoo talking to him like a normal fucking human, without sounding like he wanted to behead him?
Speechless, and clueless, as to how he was supposed to absorb this sudden change in Wonwoo's tone, Mingyu cleared his throat, mumbling a quiet 'no', taking care that he didn't get too loud. Wonwoo remained as though he hadn't heard Mingyu.
"Me too," came his reply, nearly twenty minutes later.
"What's with the sudden curiosity?" Mingyu whispered.
"Just felt like it. Don't think of it much, It'd save you a lot of brainpower, Kim."
Wonwoo wore an evil smirk as he spoke, but when Mingyu turned to recheck whether it was really Jeon Wonwoo or not, he observed the mirthful look in his eyes. The fuck just happened? Wonwoo went silent yet again.
That had been Mingyu's last class with Wonwoo for the day – something he was quite grateful for. He needed some time away to clear his brain from the normal conversation he had with Wonwoo. He had to go and tell Chaeyeon. Sending in a quick, urgent text, he asked her to go to the cafeteria right after class.
'I don't believe you,' was the first thing Chaeyeon said, while Mingyu was busy waiting for her at a table, dumping her bag on an empty chair next to his.
"I didn't either. But the he looked fucking normal, you know. Like without those glowering eyes staring at me all the fucking time."
Chaeyeon looked disbelieved. Mingyu understood what she might be thinking of, well enough. "Well, at least there's a slight chance of you being able to talk it out with him," she said.
Mingyu went still. "Chaeyeon, no. Please, I've had enough." He couldn't see her face, but her silence told him enough.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Okay," Chaeyeon looked unconvinced.
"You know what, fuck it," Mingyu snapped. "Mother brought it up last evening, again, and I said no. Next thing I know, she's hanging the damn wedding photo in the living room,"
Chaeyeon's eyes went wide, and she looked like she was about to throw a thousand curses at Minkyoung. Instead, she settled with belittling her in the mildest way possible. Mingyu wished she would have spoken her mind out.
"No she didn't,"
"She did,"
"She's your mother, for heaven's sake!"
"Please remind me again." Mingyu rolled his eyes. Hell, Chaeyeon didn't even know what photograph he referred to – she was just aware of the fact of its existence, and that it was a major trigger for Mingyu.
"I'm so sorry Mingyu..."
Mingyu remained silent, realising it was time for both of them to part ways once again; Chaeyeon had a class starting in a few minutes. "You'll get late, go ahead." Mingyu nudged her side.
"Bye," she mumbled, and left. Mingyu caught pity swimming in her eyes, but it disappeared just as fast as Mingyu had noticed it.
--
"No fucking way."
"No fucking way."
Mingyu and Wonwoo had their mouths wide open, unable to digest the situation.
Mingyu thought hard to remind himself what was going on in his brain while he'd come up with the rough script. Professor Lee seemed a bit too jubilant about the 'absolute masterpiece of a script' – those had been his exact words – from just about thirty minutes earlier.
Not that Mingyu was begrudged about the fact – he in fact liked it that the Professor accepted the bits and pieces he'd handed in. But the problem arose when the cast had been declared, with him and Wonwoo, to his absolute misfortune, set to play the protagonists. Wasn't there an audition to be held to properly choose the right people for the roles?
Wonwoo had voiced that question out a few minutes ago, saving Mingyu a potential situation to feel dumb about. Professor Lee, with a grin matching the Cheshire cat's, had happily denied, saying he'd observed his students enough throughout the months they'd worked with him. "You, Mr. Kim and Mr. Jeon, have potential. Chemistry, which you're clearly unaware of, but I'll have you know it's definitely there."
Mingyu felt like digging a hole in the auditorium floorboards and burying himself inside, never to be seen again, after listening to the not-so-subtle snickers coming from others present with him. Wonwoo hadn't moved from next to him, he still was his partner for Theatre; he hadn't looked up either.
Truth be told, Mingyu was embarrassed to the core too, but he tried not to show it, deciding to keep this professional just to the club, and nowhere outside. He would do his job, and get over it.
Wonwoo, on the other hand, disagreed a while later, in a manner Mingyu never knew he could – silently, and politely. "I can't do this, Professor," mumbled Wonwoo.
"Why not, Wonwoo?"
Wonwoo didn't have anything to say, Mingyu caught on. He sighed deeply, returning to staring at his shoes once again. Professor clapped his hands twice, diverting everyone else's attention back to him. His next few words drowned away, as Mingyu whispered a question to a still Wonwoo. "You should have said something, why are you doing this?"
"You could have too. Why are you doing this?" Wonwoo snapped.
"I- I don't think we have much choice..?"
"Exactly what I realised, asshole."
"Woah, okay, I could have understood even you'd put that nicely,"
"Piss off, Kim, please mind your own business," The slight bite to Wonwoo's voice didn't deter Mingyu.
"I am minding my own business, Wonwoo, did you forget we're supposed to be the apparent protagonists here?"
Wonwoo muttered something out of Mingyu's ear. He didn't catch what he'd said, ignoring it and turning his attention towards the Professor again. He hadn't seen the alien look Wonwoo sent his way, either.
